מִגְדָּל

Genesis 11:4 וּמִגְדָּל֙ and a tower

“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Here: From the root 'be great'. Usually a fortified tower or citadel. Here the word sits beside Babylon's famous temple-towers, the ziggurats, and calls them to mind.

Genesis 11:5 הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל the tower

Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.

Here: "The tower." The word comes from gadal, "to be great or big": a big, raised structure. Set in Shinar (Babylonia), first hearers would have pictured a stepped temple-tower (ziggurat).

Judges 8:9 הַמִּגְדָּ֥ל the tower

So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

Judges 8:17 מִגְדַּ֥ל [the] tower of

He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

Judges 9:46 מִֽגְדַּל־ [the] tower of

On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.

Judges 9:47 מִֽגְדַּל־ [the] tower of

And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,

Judges 9:49 מִֽגְדַּל־ [the] tower of

So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

Here: 'Tower of Shechem' is a fortified place or quarter, closely tied to the temple of El-berith. See debates.

Judges 9:51 וּמִגְדַּל־ הַמִּגְדָּֽל׃ and a tower of, the tower

But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.

Judges 9:52 הַמִּגְדָּ֔ל הַמִּגְדָּ֖ל the tower

When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.

2 Kings 9:17 הַמִּגְדָּ֜ל the tower

Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”

Here: 'The' tower: a specific fortified tower of Jezreel's defences, from which the eastern approach up the valley could be watched.

2 Kings 17:9 מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל from a tower of

The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.

2 Kings 18:8 מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל from a tower of

He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.

1 Chronicles 27:25 וּבַמִּגְדָּל֔וֹת and in the towers

Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages, and in the fortresses.

2 Chronicles 14:7 וּמִגְדָּלִים֮ and towers

So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 26:9 מִגְדָּלִים֙ towers

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle in the wall, and he fortified them.

2 Chronicles 26:10 מִגְדָּלִ֜ים towers

Since he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields.

2 Chronicles 26:15 הַמִּגְדָּלִים֙ the towers

And in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously until he became powerful.

2 Chronicles 27:4 וּמִגְדָּלִֽים׃ and towers

He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.

2 Chronicles 32:5 הַמִּגְדָּל֗וֹת the towers

Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.

Here: 'The towers', the fortified towers built into or onto a city wall as firing platforms and lookouts. Here the plural has the less common feminine ending.

Nehemiah 3:1 מִגְדַּ֤ל מִגְדַּ֥ל [the] tower of

At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated the wall.

Here: A defensive tower built into the wall. Towers were especially needed on the north side, where no valley protected the city.

Nehemiah 3:11 מִגְדַּ֥ל [the] tower of

Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens.

Nehemiah 3:25 וְהַמִּגְדָּ֗ל and the tower

and Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the angle and the tower that juts out from the upper palace of the king near the courtyard of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh

Nehemiah 3:26 וְהַמִּגְדָּ֖ל and the tower

and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out.

Nehemiah 3:27 הַמִּגְדָּ֤ל the tower

And next to them, the Tekoites repaired another section, from a point opposite the great tower that juts out to the wall of Ophel.

Nehemiah 8:4 מִגְדַּל־ a high platform of

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Nehemiah 12:38 לְמִגְדַּ֣ל to [the] tower of

The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

Here: A defensive tower built into the wall. The procession passes over or beside it.

Nehemiah 12:39 וּמִגְדַּ֤ל וּמִגְדַּ֣ל and [the] tower of

over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

Here: A defensive tower built into the wall. The north side had no deep valley to protect it, so it needed towers most.

Psalm 48:12 מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃ towers its

March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,

Psalm 61:3 מִגְדַּל־ a tower of

For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy.

Here: A fortified tower, the kind built into a city wall or standing inside a town as the last defensible place. It is joined directly to the next word: "a tower of strength."

Proverbs 18:10 מִגְדַּל־ [is] a tower of

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Here: A tall fortified tower, the kind built inside or on a city wall as the place of last defence. Put first in the sentence for emphasis: 'A tower of strength — that is what YHWH's name is.'

Song of Songs 4:4 כְּמִגְדַּ֤ל [is] like [the] tower of

Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors.

Song of Songs 5:13 מִגְדְּל֖וֹת towers of

His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.

Song of Songs 7:4 כְּמִגְדַּ֣ל כְּמִגְדַּ֣ל [is] like [the] tower of

Your neck is like a tower made of ivory; your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, facing toward Damascus.

Song of Songs 8:10 כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת [are] like <the> towers

I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.

Isaiah 2:15 מִגְדָּ֣ל tower

against every high tower, against every fortified wall,

Isaiah 5:2 מִגְדָּל֙ a tower

He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour!

Here: A stone watchtower for guarding the crop and storing tools and produce. Most vineyards made do with a flimsy booth (Isa 1:8), so a tower shows the owner meant to stay.

Isaiah 30:25 מִגְדָּלִֽים׃ towers

And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall.

Here: Fortified towers on city walls and strongholds, the backbone of ancient military defence. In Isaiah they also stand for human pride and self-made security (2:15).

Isaiah 33:18 הַמִּגְדָּלִֽים׃ the towers

Your mind will ponder the former terror: “Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”

Jeremiah 31:38 מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל from [the] tower of

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

Here: 'From the tower of…': the starting point of a survey line along the wall. A migdal is a fortified tower built into a city wall.

Ezekiel 26:4 מִגְדָּלֶ֔יהָ towers its

They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and make her a bare rock.

Here: The defensive towers set along the walls. 'Her' is feminine because the city is pictured as a woman, the usual way cities were spoken of in Hebrew.

Ezekiel 26:9 וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ and towers your

He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes.

Ezekiel 27:11 בְּמִגְדְּלוֹתַ֖יִךְ in towers your

Men of Arvad and Helech manned your walls all around, and the men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they perfected your beauty.

Here: The towers set along the wall: the highest and most exposed defensive posts, given to a named contingent.

Zechariah 14:10 וּמִגְדַּ֣ל and [the] tower of

All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.

Here: 'And the tower of': the start of the second boundary line, which runs north to south.